‘Secret Life of Pets’ tops list of new DVDs out this week

Characters, from left, Max, voiced by Louis C.K.; Duke, voiced by Eric Stonestreet; and Katie, voiced by Ellie Kemper, appear in a scene from “The Secret Lives of Pets.” The movie is now available on DVD. Illumination Entertainment and Universal PicturesCourtesy

Characters, from left, Max, voiced by Louis C.K.; Duke, voiced by Eric Stonestreet; and Katie, voiced by Ellie Kemper, appear in a scene from “The Secret Lives of Pets.” The movie is now available on DVD. Illumination Entertainment and Universal PicturesCourtesy

There’s a long list of new DVD releases to consider when doing your holiday shopping.

“The Secret Life of Pets”: 2.5 our 4 stars. Seeing the new release is like getting a new puppy. It starts out exciting, but it soon settles into a familiar routine.

The film comes from the same team that produced the sweet, funny and memorable “Despicable Me.” That film is almost impossible to follow, especially when there are no breakout characters like the Minions. The characters that come closest to standing out are a spunky poodle named Gidget (Jenny Slate) and a feisty bunny named Snowball (Kevin Hart) who runs the underground animal world. They are good, but they run a distant second to the magical Minions.

“The Hollars”: 3 stars. Certain actors automatically lift the level of a production merely by being part of the cast. Margo Martindale is one such actor. So is Richard Jenkins.

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Put those two together, which “The Hollars” does, and there’s a strength despite a script by James Strouse that is little more than cable-movie fodder. The sure-thing actors give the movie a beautiful emotional depth.

It doesn’t stop there. Director John Krasinski has cast himself along with Anna Kendrick and Sharlto Copley to put together a compelling ensemble. Even supporting players Josh Groban, Charlie Day and Mary Kay Place get the most out of their roles.

“For the Love of Spock”: 3.5 stars. Adam Nimoy’s original idea for the documentary “For the Love of Spock” was to take a detailed look at the character that his father, Leonard Nimoy, had created on the original TV series “Star Trek.” Spock is one of the most iconic TV characters of all time, and the film fills in details of how the character came into being and grew into such a beloved figure.

The filmmaker accomplishes this and, in the process, gives “Star Trek” fans a comprehensive story of everything from the struggle to create the right look for Spock’s ears to how Nimoy came up with the idea for the Vulcan greeting of “live long and prosper.” It is a fascinating look at the acting process.